Clothes-pin.



1. 1. PLASTER.

CLOTHES PIN.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. l6, I914.

1,145,032 Patented July 6, 1915.

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JOSEPH J. PLASTER, OF LOCKNEY, TEXAS.

CLOTHES-PIN.

Application filed March 16, 1914.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH J. PLASTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lockney, in the county of Floyd and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Clothes-Pin, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention appertains to clothes pins and aims to provide a novel and improved holder or clasp of that nature.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a clothes pin, which may readily be bent or fashioned from a length of wire, and which may be of such unique construction, as to embody clamping or gripping means which are capable of ready engagement and disengagement with and from the clothes line, respectively.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a clothes pin embodying clamping or gripping coils engageable over the clothes line, and novel means for limiting the movement of the clamping coils, over the line, and for facilitating the engagement and disengagement of the clamping coils to and from the line, respectively.

It is also the object of the present invention to provide a clothes pin of the nature indicated, which may be loosely and slidably mounted upon a clothes line, to be carried therewith, whereby the clothes pin may be readily slid to the point desired and engaged to the line for clamping the garments or clothes thereon, the present pin being relatively simple, unencumbered and inexpensive in construction, as well as being simple, con-' venient, serviceable, practical and eiiicient in its use.

lVith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

The invention has been illustrated in its preferred embodiment in the drawings, wherein- Figure l is a perspective view of the clothes pin as in use. Fig. 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

The present clothes pin or clasp is fashioned from a single length of wire possess- Specification of Letters Patent.

, Patented July 6, 1915.

Serial No. 824,998.

ing the requisite flexibility or resiliency, the wire being preferably galvanized or otherwise finished for the purpose of wear and appearance. The wire is so bent, as to provide an intermediate transverse retaining coil 1, preferably of two convolutions, with the ends of the coil 1 arranged uppermost. Longitudinal upper arms 2 extend in opposite directions from the upper ends of the retaining coils 1, and depending clamping or gripping coils are provided at the remote or free ends of the arms 2. Each of the clamping coils 3 preferably embodies two and one half convolutions, or more if desirable. Extending from the free ends of the clamping coils 3, which are arranged lowermost, or at the bottoms of the coils 3, are two inclined oblique or diagonal fingers 1 projecting inwardly or toward the upper portion of the retaining element 1 and having their free end projecting adjacent the upper portion of the element or coil 1 and hooked or curved slightly as at 5, to engage over the supporting arms 2 adjacent the retaining coil 1.

The axis of the retaining coil 1 is disposed longitudinally of the pin as a whole, while the axes of the clamping coils 3 are disposed transversely, so that it may be said that the retaining coil 1 is arranged transversely, while the clamping coils 3 are arranged longitudinally. considering the convolutions of the coils. The oblique or diagonal fingers 4 approximately intersect the axis of the retaining coil 1, for the purposes which will hereinafter appear.

In use, the retaining coil 1 is disposed upon the clothes line 6, whereby, when the clamping coils are released from the line, the clothes pin will be suspended loosely and slidably from the line, to be readily slipped to any position desired, it being understood, that in practice a number of clothes pins are mounted upon the line to hold the garments or fabrics placed upon the line. When the clothes pin is to be employed for clamping or holding the adjacent garments or articles upon the line, the pin is swung to proper position, with the arms 2 uppermost, whereby the clamping coils 3 may be engaged over the line and garments placed thereon, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Thus, the garments may be clamped between the convolutions of the clamping coils 3, to effectively retain the garments in place upon the line.

Attentionis directed to the fact that when the coils 3 are engaged over the line, the fingers 4 will serve as stops to limit the downward movement of the coils 3 over the line, whereby the garments or articles will be properly clamped. The resilient or flexible fingers 4 are of additional advantage, as will presently appear. When the fingers 4 are arranged over the line with their intermediate portions resting thereon, as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 2, the clamping coils 3 may be readily released from the line, by pressing the free ends of the fingers 4 downwardly, in which event the fingers 4 will serve as levers bearing at their intermediate or central portions on the line, to provide fulcrums, whereby when the free portions of the fingers or levers 4 are swung away from the arms and then depressed, the

coils 3 will be elevated or raised out of en-' gagement with the clothes line. The fingers 4 are further of advantage, inasmuch as they may be readily snapped or passed under the clothes line, as illustrated in full lines in Fig. 1, whereby when the free ends of the fingers or levers are raised, they will facilitate the engagement of the clamping coils over the clothes line. The fingers or levers 4 will thus have a three-fold function, and furthermore, the fingers 4 being engaged to the arms 2 as illustrated in Fi g. 2, will prevent the ends of the wire from engaging the garments Thus, the ends of the wire are protected, it also being observed that the arms 2 are disposed uppermost, or above the clothes line when the pin Copies of this patent may be obtained for of the pin, oppositely. projecting longitudinal arms extending from the upper portion of the said coil, clamping coils depending from the remote ends of the said arms and having their axes disposed transversely of the pin, and fingers extending from the :i

lower portions of the clamping coils and inclined toward and projecting'adjacent the upper portion of the intermediate coil, the free ends of the fingers being adapted to engage with the said arms, and being adapted to have their intermediate portions rest :upon the clothes line engaged by the clamping coils to serve as levers, and-being adapted to be engaged under the clothes line.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH J. PLASTER.

Witnesses:

FRANK WALTER, FRANoIs GARTHEL.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent Washington, D. C. 

